Rail-joint.



I PATENTED' MAY 19,1903.

, K. KOHN.

RAIL JOINT. v APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 2% l901 RENEWED AUG. 5. 1902.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

KOBY KOHN, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPEGIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent N 0. 728,469, dated May 19,1903. Application filed December 20, 1901. Renewed August 5, 1902.Serial No. 118,520. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, KOBY KOHN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Lincoln, in the countyofLancaster and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful ID1- provements in Rail-Joints, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail-joints; and it consists of means wherebythe tightening of the fish-plates to clamp the ends of the abuttingrails is made the means of more securely binding the rails to thebase-plate and of increasing the rigidity of the structure, as fully setforth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a cross-sectional view showing my improved rail-joint.Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the fish-plates. Fig. 3 is atransverse section illustrating the manner of applying the base to therails; Fig. 4, a transverse section illustrating the position of thebase and rail prior to applying the fishplates. Fig. 5 is a side view ofthe structure.

My improved rail-joint is intended to be used in connection with anysuitable rail. As shown, it is the ordinary T-rail A, having the head 1,with inclined under faces 2 2 and the bottom flanges 3 3,- with inclinedupper faces. The rail at the point where the joint is made rests upon abase-plate 0, which also extends beneath the adjacent rail, the jointbeing at about the middle of the plate 0, and the two rails areconnected by means of fish-plates B B, connected thereto by transversebolts 5. The fish plates B B do not bear directly against the web of therail A, but have inclined upper edges and inclined lower'faces forbearing, respectively, against the faces 2 3 of the rail, so that as thebolts are tightened the fish-plates are forced inward with a wedge-likeaction, so as to become more firmly seated.

In many rail-joint constructions the inward adj ustmentof thefish-plates tends to loosen the connection withthe base-plate, and toavoid this result I extend the lower portion of each fish-plate outwardto form a flange, which is increased in thickness toward the outer endto constitute a wedge 6', and I provide the base-plate C at oppositesides with ribs 7, from which extend inward downwardlyinclined flanges8, which engage the upper faces of the wedges 6. As a result of theabove-described construction when the fishplates are drawn inward towardthe web of the rail the wedges 6 6 are drawn into the contractedchannels between the faces 3 3 and the lower faces of the flanges 8 8,thereby exerting a lateral wedge-like action upon the flanges of therail and the base-plate, so that in proportion to the extent of thisinward adjustment the connection between the rail and base instead ofbeing loosened is tightened, and great rigidity is imparted to theentire structure.

The base-plate O is secured to the tie in any suitable manner-as, forinstance, by means of spikes 10, which engage ribs or lugs 12 of thebase.

In assembling the parts of my improved rail-joint the base 0 is firstapplied beneath the rails in the inclined position shown in Fig. 3, thencarried to the position shown in Fig. 4:. The fish-plates are thenpushed along the rail into place, with their wedge -like flanges betweenthe flanges of the rail and the overhanging flanges of the base-plate,and the parts are then bolted together and the base-plate spiked inplace. To secure increased rigidity, I prefer to rib the flanges of thebase-plate. This may be done by corrugating the flanges, forming theribs 9 g, as shown.

Without limiting myself to the precise'construction and arrangement ofparts shown, I claim as my invention-- 7 1. The combination with theabutting rails of a railway and with a base extending beneath the sameand provided with overhang ing flanges, of fish-plates having'wedge-likeflanges extending between the flanges of the rails and the overhangingflanges of the base plate and cooperating therewith to exert a lateralwedge-like action thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the rails and baseplate' provided with ribs havinginturned flanges with downwardly-inclined lower faces and fish-platesfitting betweenthe head and flanges of the rail and with wedge-shapedprojections 6, 6, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the abutting rails of a railway, and with abase-plate having overhanging ribbed flanges, of fish-plates fitforbinding the fish-plates to the rails and to cause them to exert alateral Wedge-like action upon the flange of the rail and base,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

KOBY KOHN.

ting between the head and flanges of the rails and provided withWedge-shaped flanges and bolts for binding the fish-plates to the railsand to cause them to exert a lateral wedgelike action upon the flangesof the rail and base, substantially as set forth. I 4. The combinationwith the abutting rails of a railway, and with a base-plate having ioverhanging flanges, of fish-plates fitting be- 2 tween the head andflanges of the rails and t provided with Wedge-shaped flanges and boltsVitnesses:

CHARLES E. FOSTER, W. CLARENCE DUVALL.

